TONGUES OF THE MONTE Dobie, J. Frank

Octavo, pp. [i-iv] v-vii [viii-x] 1-301[302: blank], publisher's pictorial yellow cloth stamped in yellow, pink and black, top edge stained pink, fore-edge untrimmed, bottom edge rough trimmed. First edition, first printing. A highly important presentation copy with signed inscription by Dobie dated 29 October 1935 on the front free endpaper: "Presented with good wishes / and appreciation to / Winnie Allen / a good friend to me -- /J. Frank Dobie / Austin, Texas / 29 Oct., 1935." Winnie Allen (1895-1985), pioneer archivist and historian of Texas, became assistant archivist at the University of Texas archives under Mattie Austin Hatcher in 1925. When Hatcher retired in 1936, Allen replaced her as archivist, a position in which she served for thirty-five years. As the University of Texas archivist and special collections librarian, she advocated recognition of the value of archives, local history, and genealogical materials in both academic and public libraries in Texas. Her major focus was to collect new materials for the University archives, and she drove all over Texas to obtain documents. When she began the job the archives contained only the Austin papers and about twenty other manuscript collections. By the time of her retirement in 1960 the archives comprised between 3,500 and 4,000 collections. TONGUES OF THE MONTE, Dobie's collection of rural northern Mexican folkways and traditions, was his favorite of his own works. "TONGUES OF THE MONTE is about as close as Dobie ever got to writing a novel" (Abernathy, J. Frank Dobie, p.18). A fine copy in very good pictorial dust jacket priced $3.00 on the front flap with shallow chipping at spine ends and corners, several closed tears along folds, and faded spine panel. (#177734)